Terrorism has no religion or fixed forms or identical geographical location therefore terrorism cannot be dubbed as the product of any specific religion or can never be linked to particular bodies. It is the product of corrupt, narrow-minded, arrogant egos and of hardened hearts.
Terrorism is a form of surrender to emotions; absenteeism of mind; and arrogance which ultimately lead to destructive actions like the one occurred in mosques of New Zealand on Friday when a gunman wearing military fatigues and wielding five weapons stormed into two mosques.
The massacre that claimed lives of 49 Muslim worshippers and wounded 40 other worshippers was the worst terror incident in the history of New Zealand. Australia-born 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant exposed his apparent fascination with the religious conflicts in Europe and the Balkans during his visits to a number of countries in the region in 2016-2018, are being investigated.
The right-wing extremist charged over the horrifying attacks on mosques in Christchurch flashed a white power gesture as he appeared in court yesterday, at the time the shocked Muslim community began making arrangements for the burial of 49 people.
For more than decades, Islam has been accused of being source of terrorism for political motives ignoring the fact that Islam is a religion of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with all of humanity both as individuals and communities.
The horrific massacre has put the spotlight on the lethality of the semi-automatic weapons used by the killer in Christchurch and in numerous past attacks in the United States, as an official of New Zealand’ investigation has affirmed that the man legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre.
The attack has also stressed the need of paying serious attention to increasing threats posed by racist white nationalists to migrants particularly Muslims in many Western countries, although leaders like US President Donald Trump have always down played such threats. The role of social media and mainstream media should not be ignored or used for justification or encouraging such terror acts under any circumstances.
In this context, the Western tabloid newspapers’ coverage of the attack on Christchurch mosque and their attempt to “humanise” the killer is rejected. The British tabloid, Daily Mirror labeled him an “angelic boy who grew into an evil far-right mass killer”, and described him as “a likeable and dedicated personal trainer running free athletic programmes for kids”.
Whatever justifications criminals present to justify their act, terrorism is an act of aggression against innocent civilians for political ends; a heinous crime against humanity and religion is not a source of terrorism. Terrorism is disease which must not be underestimated and the world should stand united against its all forms and manifestations. Love should win over hatred as peaceful co-existence has no alternative.
